i have been redoingt he inside of my place, but ma stuck with the kitchen cabinet doors,
here is what i have now. pretty ugly. i am handy, and want to redo them.is there any way to use these but redo the fronts? can i fill the oak pulls at the bottom and keep what i have but make them look nicer. or what is a cheap and easy cabinet door to build?
thankshttp://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...dompics179.jpg

Termite

05-13-2008 02:33 PM

Those are horrible! :wink:

The only thing that comes to mind is that you could veneer them with oak. You can buy rolls of pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) stick-on wood veneer. It is very thin and reasonably easy to work with. You just use an inexpensive j-roller to press it in place. They also make backed veneer that requires contact cement, which will never stand a chance of coming loose, but is a little more work to apply. You can also use edge banding in the same materials if the doors have ugly sides as well. Veneers require very few little inexpensive trimmer tools to use, so they're a good option.

I know you can get PSA veneer at www.rockler.com or you can get it from certain very good hardwood suppliers. Home Depot-type places won't have it.

OSJ

05-13-2008 03:05 PM

thanks, is there a nice easy design for new doors out of something like MDF? it is fairly cheap. i am more than capable of making something basic.
i opened up my kitchen walls and now you see them worse than ever. need tobe fixed asap.
thanks again.

OSJ

05-13-2008 03:35 PM

what about a flat solid piece of MDF, with a acrylic black paint and then i do the cabinet frame that you see in either white or a grey to match my stainless aplliances? i'm no designer, just thinking out loud.
i will most likely go with stainless pulls. the long round stock ones.

angus242

05-13-2008 04:13 PM

I'm not sure what your version of "cheap" is but if you look around on the internet, there are places that will sell just doors. I'm not sure what kind of cost you're looking at but it's an option to check. By the time you buy, pick up and cut MDF (plus any tools you might have to buy), it MIGHT be the most cost effective way to go...in the long run.

OSJ

05-13-2008 04:24 PM

have all the tools i would need, just need to buy a sheet or two of MDF. just curious if it would look alright, thats al.

Termite

05-13-2008 04:25 PM

If you have a tablesaw and a router you can make endless doors out of MDF. You have to use primer, but nothing paints up nicer than MDF.

I'd recommend going to a bookstore and looking at a book by Danny Proulx called Cabinet Doors and Drawers. He gives many MDF options and techniques in that book.

troubleseeker

05-13-2008 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angus242
(Post 122963)

I'm not sure what your version of "cheap" is but if you look around on the internet, there are places that will sell just doors. I'm not sure what kind of cost you're looking at but it's an option to check. By the time you buy, pick up and cut MDF (plus any tools you might have to buy), it MIGHT be the most cost effective way to go...in the long run.

I tend to agree with Angus 242 on this. If you just want flat mdf slabs, it is an easy DIY job, but not much improvement in asthetics IMO. It is really not that expensive to have raised panel doors made, either wood frames with mdf panels, or pure mdf milled into perfect raised panel/rail and stile look alikes. Search some of the web sites for cabinet parts/cabinet doors and you should be able to get a pretty good idea on the price range.
If you don't mind the flat panel, you could also cut off the ugly pull bars, resize the remaining panel, and apply a back band (a stock trim at mill supplier) to give the perimeter some depth. That is going to leave you with having to get paint to stick to the panel, as all of the doors like that I have seen are plastic laminate, as your look like also.

angus242

05-13-2008 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troubleseeker
(Post 123028)

I tend to agree with Angus 242 on this. If you just want flat mdf slabs, it is an easy DIY job, but not much improvement in asthetics IMO. It is really not that expensive to have raised panel doors made, either wood frames with mdf panels, or pure mdf milled into perfect raised panel/rail and stile look alikes. Search some of the web sites for cabinet parts/cabinet doors and you should be able to get a pretty good idea on the price range.
If you don't mind the flat panel, you could also cut off the ugly pull bars, resize the remaining panel, and apply a back band (a stock trim at mill supplier) to give the perimeter some depth. That is going to leave you with having to get paint to stick to the panel, as all of the doors like that I have seen are plastic laminate, as your look like also.

That's what I was thinking. Apparently I'm not so good with the brain-to-hand thing.
Well said, troubleseeker! :thumbup:

This place has stupid-cheap cabinet doors. There's no way you can make them this cheap. They're like $10/door for oak raised panel doors.

Between what materials cost and what I have invested in woodworking equipment, my cabinet doors cost me probably $100 each!!! :laughing:

I've never seen that website, and don't understand how they can make doors that cheap, but it seems they do. Have you ever ordered from them? If so, how's the quality?

DK75

05-15-2008 09:47 AM

I agree with most regarding the overall cost regarding materials, but more importantly your time.

nevertheless, I made two cabinet doors from MDF. I have a long breakfast bar and where it meets the wall, there is a corner created that is dead space underneath the breakfast bar. I wanted to cut it open, build a door frame, and add two doors to make it a usable cabinet for storage. I also was curious to see IF I could do this, since I was new to using a router.

I could not find doors that fit perfectly since my opening was designed to maximize as much space as I could. Believe it or not I went to big box and bought some of the white laminated shelving that was damaged and in the discount pile. I found this had the finest "grain" for MDF and cut very well with a router.

I cut two doors to shape and used a router bit to provide a nice and detailed edge around the perimeter. I aslo bought a bit that allowed me to create a routed groove on the surface of the door to give even more ornate look. The bit was similar to a roman ogee, but could be used on a flat surface, not necessaryily the edge. I had to build a jig that allowed me to keep this groove exactly 3" from the doors edge on all sides. Added hardwary and the hinges and now I have two custom made doors.

Cut MDF doesn't paint all that well. I found that sanding it down a little with a fine grit also provides for a smooth surface. Someone suggested to me after the fact to use joint compound or wood putty on the cut edges of MDF to make them even more smoother and it helps for the painting.

I can post a picture if you wish, but need to know how.

Good luck.

Termite

05-15-2008 11:30 AM

DK75 is right, drywall joint compound works great for end-sealing cut edges of MDF prior to painting. Wipe it on with a finger and sand lightly.

NateHanson

05-16-2008 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thekctermite
(Post 123206)

Between what materials cost and what I have invested in woodworking equipment, my cabinet doors cost me probably $100 each!!! :laughing:

I've never seen that website, and don't understand how they can make doors that cheap, but it seems they do. Have you ever ordered from them? If so, how's the quality?

I know. It's depressing isn't it? I'm a furniture maker and this is why I don't even bid for jobs that aren't top-end. It's too easy and cheap to get the same old stuff anymore. I have to stick to the really spectacular stuff.

Anyways, I have not seen their product first hand, but I know a couple people who have ordered them, and they've shown me pictures. They're happy with them, and they appear to me to be standard cope and stick doors that should hold up as well as any other.

Nate

dilysho

05-21-2008 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angus242
(Post 122963)

I'm not sure what your version of "cheap" is but if you look around on the internet, there are places that will sell just doors. I'm not sure what kind of cost you're looking at but it's an option to check. By the time you buy, pick up and cut MDF (plus any tools you might have to buy), it MIGHT be the most cost effective way to go...in the long run.